I actually bought the book only based on the fact that I loved the cover.

Unspecified time and place and a boy who is trying to run away from evil which is ruining his life through land which is harsh and dry almost beyond my imagination. I was hooked from the first to the last page. I really enjoyed the writer's style. I could feel thirst and hunger and fear when along with the boy.

I was wondering what time and place exactly it is. But I think that the beauty of the story is that it actually does not really matter because the basic story could be set pretty much anywhere and at anytime and it would still work. Simply put - it is timeless.